Officer hit by squad car while chasing theft suspect

A Chicago police officer chasing a shoplifting suspect on foot was injured by a police vehicle responding to the scene on the North Side Friday night.

The officer was being treated for non-life-threatening injuries, police said. The suspect, who was caught by police, was handed two misdemeanor charges early today, police said.

Timothy Starks, 26, of the 5800 block of West Augusta Boulevard, was charged with one count of retail theft and one count of reckless conduct, said Chicago Police News Affairs Officer Ron Gaines.

Officers were flagged down by someone who told them an individual, matching the description of Starks, was nearby after having stolen something from a store in the Lincoln Village shopping center, in the 6100 block of North Lincoln Avenue, about 7:30 p.m. Friday, said Chicago Police News Affairs Officer Antoinette Ursitti.

One officer who began pursuing Starks on foot was struck by a police vehicle that responded to the scene, Ursitti said. Starks was arrested, and the officer was being treated at Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center, she said.

Information about the officer's unit and the details of the shoplifting incident were not immediately available, Ursitti said. The officer's age, gender, and length of service were also not immediately available.